


Summer fling

by RebeccaAnabelBurrows



Series: Season themed works [2]
Category: DCU, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Trafficking, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description of Corpses, Inspired by Poetry, M/M, Secret Relationship, Summer, Those guys are idiotic seriously, and mutilated bodies, but I need the alien trafficking subplot for later, so yes so much for the fluff, summer flings, this was supposed to be cute, time limit, well some bits are, will probably turn out to be angstier than my teenagehood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24789841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaAnabelBurrows/pseuds/RebeccaAnabelBurrows
Summary: Hal is tired to lie to his successive girlfriends but isn't willing to give up on couple relationships. Bruce may have a solution.Partly inspired by Amy Lowell's poems.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne, Past Relationships - Relationship
Series: Season themed works [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790107
Comments: 12
Kudos: 70





	1. You hate me and I hate you,

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter title is from a poem written by Amy Lowell, I always specify which one in the notes. 
> 
> Updates will be spaced out since I've written almost nothing yet and I don't know how long this is going to be (less than 10k would be nice for me).

At the end of a hot June day, Hal Jordan had stormed into the Watchtower. He had been having a shit day of the deepest dye and ending it by a monitor duty shift with Bruce wasn’t going to make it any better. 

“I am sorry nobody taught you to tell the time. The little hand shows the hours and the big one the minutes, actually. You’re thirty minutes late.” 

Hal threw him a glare. Their shift was going to be a long one. He looked around him and spotted Bruce’s bland coffee mug, still half full. He helped himself to it and Bruce made a disgusted sound - or maybe an annoyed one, it was hard to tell. 

“I am sorry if I have offended you, your Majesty. Would you like to share your opinions about punctuality with my ex-girlfriend ? It would seem she had much to say about it too.” Hal said bitterly.

It wasn’t Eva’s fault, really. He couldn’t blame her for breaking-up with him. He had to stay in space for the most part of the two last months, meaning he had been unavailable and also unreliable. To make it worse, the mission had ended badly, and innocent people had died, which meant Hal’s mind wasn’t even fully into their relationship when he finally spent time with her. 

He had almost zoned out but caught what Bruce was saying - it was possible he had missed a part, however. 

“It could have been anybody’s mug for all you knew.”

He was sighing, which meant he wasn’t really mad and had probably known Hal was going to steal his mug anyway, Hal did it all the time. Leaving your coffee unattended in a room Hal was in meant you didn’t want to finish it yourself. 

He always made a face when he drank Bruce’s. It was always too strong to Hal’s taste, but he made a point to finish it, wishing he had something to sweeten it. 

“Nondescript thing that looks more expensive than my daily wages ? Definitely yours. You must have noticed that I don’t mind sharing, anyway.” Hal said, shrugging.

Bruce felt just irritated enough to make a snide remark. 

“Maybe that’s why your girlfriend dumped you.”

He wasn’t sure she had been the one to make the dumping, but he was pretty sure Jordan had a girlfriend the day before and from his mood, he could deduce one thing or two about what had happened earlier.

“Who said - right. To each their own, but I am more monogamous than people realize, ex-girlfriend included. Lying to one girlfriend is enough work as it is.” Hal said, rubbing the side of his neck.

He wasn’t going to have a fight with Bruce about this.

“Looks like you didn’t put that much work into this relationship.” Bruce quipped.

He hadn’t wanted to submit his coffee to Jordan and was making him pay for it. 

“My girlfriend dumped me because I told her I wasn’t staying the night once again, so can you just fuck off ?” Hal said aggressively, fixing his eyes on one screen, probably hoping for something that would interrupt them, but all was clear. 

“You liked her.” Bruce said, and he sounded almost empathetic. 

Hal rubbed his neck a bit more. Bruce refrained the urge to push Hal’s hand away to prevent the skin to redden more. 

“Yeah, maybe. She’s great. A veterinarian, your youngest would love her.” Hal muttered.

“It doesn’t seem like Damian is going to meet her anytime soon.” Bruce said, looking at him pointedly. 

Hal laughed before checking the screens again. Nothing. All was fine apparently. 

“Thank you for all the kind words, Bruce. It’s very moving.” he said, not looking at him.

His teammate just shrugged, unbothered. He had only stated a fact. And hurt Hal’s feelings, it would seem. It tended to happen. 

“Kind words wouldn’t change anything.”

Hal just sank in his seat. That was the essence of what Eva had said to him. Apologies and compliments weren’t enough, she wanted someone that was actually there, and that someone to be there with both his body and his mind. That was a rather common thing to ask from a relationship. 

“Don’t I know that. I love what we do, I love being a Lantern but sometimes I’d just want to have good natured fun with a girl I like. Just, you know, doing cool coupley stuff together.”

“Like fucking ?”

The sarcasm was dripping from his voice and Hal rolled his eyes at him. 

“I was more thinking about going places, flirting, making nice memories. I just want something nice, not anxiety inducing because I don’t remember what lie I served my girlfriend the last time I had to do JL or Corps work. But honestly ? Having sex would be nice too.” 

Bruce cocked his head, seemingly thinking. 

“You don’t need a serious girlfriend for that. Just find someone willing to spend some time with you but who is not looking for commitment, that way you wouldn’t feel so bad about the lies. It shouldn’t be too hard with your face, as long as you stay mostly silent.” he said finally, after being silent for a while. 

Hal glared at Bruce. Well, there had been a compliment somewhere in this sentence but that wasn’t what had caught his attention.

“You’re hilarious. But I guess it’s the right timing for a summer fling. Something with an expiration date sounds good, I could do with less pressure. Hopefully it won’t take me ages to find someone interested in that and I won’t be sent the Corps knows where for too long during that time.”

It took Bruce a few more seconds than necessary to talk after that. 

“Hal, no offense but you don’t limit yourself to women, do you ?”

Hal tensed a bit, it wasn’t public knowledge in the League. Barry knew - hadn’t that been an embarrassing drunken make-out session - and Oliver probably suspected it but that was it. 

He usually didn’t go for men, but he had in the past. He had mixed feelings about it.

Dating a woman was less trouble and had a comfortable sense of security to it. Hal liked that. 

He had dated one or two decent guys, though. And a few more that weren’t that decent, and “dated” was a generous word for those ones. “Had more history with than a blowjob in a seedy bar’s bathroom” was more accurate. Some hadn’t been that great at reciprocation and affectionate gestures. 

“Mostly. Why are you asking ? You know a guy ?” Hal asked, worrying his lower lip.

Truth was, a guy may be a nice change. He liked sleeping with men and it had been a while. 

Bruce looked at him intently. Hal looked back and his eyes widened when he got to the conclusion Bruce wanted him to reach. 

It had taken Hal a few seconds to catch up. He hadn’t been certain Bruce swang both ways, even if he had considered it a possibility. Speculations about Bruce’s lovelife was a whole subcategory in some rags that called themselves press. 

Bruce’s offer was making him nervous. Hal was going into a panic of some kind, truth was, and probably not hiding it that well. 

“You’re serious ? I told you I was looking for a relationship with no drama and you thought you and me would be a good idea ? Have you met us ?”

Bruce looked unperturbed by Hal’s outburst. Hal wondered if he was really as calm as he displayed and if shaking him would change something or if he was just that good at hiding his feelings. He suspected a bit of both. 

“You said you were tired of lying to your girlfriends. You wouldn’t have to lie to me.”

Hal didn’t laugh, but that was because he was showing some restraint. Really ? That was that simple, in Bruce’s mind ? 

“Point taken. But can you imagine us having fun together ?”

Hal had never been poor, but he hadn’t been raised like a rich boy either. His and Bruce’s interests were probably at odds. 

“If you’re not interested, you can just tell me so. I assure you I won’t hold it against you in any way.”

It had not been one of Hal’s concerns, strangely. He trusted Bruce not to use his power in the League that way, it would seem. 

Trust was a good basis in a relationship, right ? And it was difficult to come by, in his line of extracurricular work. 

Hal licked his lips, trying to study Bruce’s expression through his cowl.

“Can I have some time to decide ?” he asked after a bit. 

Their gazes met, more or less. Bruce had the lenses up but sometimes Hal couldn’t even read Bruce when he wasn’t wearing the cowl, anyway.

“All the time you need.” Bruce said. 

Their focus went back to the screens they were supposed to look at and they didn’t speak another word about their possible arrangement that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from the poem [Fireworks](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628916200112553984/fireworks-you-hate-me-and-i-hate-you-and-we-are) by Amy Lowell. (Well I have to find another one because it will suit the sequel better)


	2. Happiness: We rarely feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just noticed that I hadn't picked a poem for the first chapter and this is the one : [Fireworks](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628916200112553984/fireworks-you-hate-me-and-i-hate-you-and-we-are). 
> 
> The poem for this chapter is [Happiness](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628916714901536768/happiness-happiness-to-some-elation-is-to)
> 
> Chapter titles are verses from mentioned poems.
> 
> EDIT : Sorry for any confusion I may have caused by posting this chapter... in another fic. It's the last time I make a title the simplest and most story-related possible to avoid this kind of mistakes, apparently it doesn't work ! This is embarrassing. 
> 
> Special thanks to Resveratrol, by the way. (I replied but I am afraid you may have not seen it because of me deleting the chapter right after)
> 
> PS : Help, this is never going to be only 10k words.

It took Hal ten days to make a choice. 

A day after their break-up, Eva had come to take her stuff back. It wasn’t much - some clothes, a book, some beauty products - but Hal had felt like he was going to miss seeing colorful nail polish in the bathroom’s cabinet and Eva’s highlighted (and in the process of being annotated) Frankenstein’s copy on the nightstand. 

Hal had been assigned a mission right after that, and had been rather glad to get a change of atmosphere. It had given him some time to think about Bruce’s proposition too. 

The diplomatic talks with the governor of Psean had gone well, and a treaty had been signed with the rebels that should prevent civil war in the region. That was good news and Hal had celebrated with some Lantern friends. 

He had been hangover for two days in a row after that, the stuff Aekia distilled on her planet was deadly for humans apparently and Hal should have expected that, he seldom drank alien alcohol because of his “human frail constitution”, as others put it, but the signing had been such a relief that Hal had indulged his friends. 

It had procured him a hell of a headache and memories of undressing and crawling on the floor in a very crocodile-like way. 

“Is it normal human behavior ?” a large-eyed Vocalian had asked, tilting their gigantic head. 

Hal could swear she had been taking notes, probably one of these new recruits desirous of knowing everything about other species, especially the ones with unusual habits. Hal had the sinking feeling that her thesis would be on drunk human behavior.

He didn’t really mind, enthusiastic newbies not yet hardened by the job were nice to come by and Sk’ky was a good guy. A good person, he should say. Vocalians, as many other species across the galaxies, weren’t that much interested in gender. 

Anyway, Sk’ky wasn’t the one who recorded the whole thing and showed it to Hal before he left Oa. That was Jessica, who had somehow gotten it from Aekia who had obtained the footage from Afoz. Feminine bonding over stupid things men do was an interplanetary thing, it would seem. 

After that, he had come back on Earth to his lifeless flat, his head still full of his fellow Lanterns’ laughs. The place felt strangely lonely. 

Hal had always liked the Corps for this, the companionship he got from it. All those people, they were Hal’s family in a way. Sure, they were different, but they understood Hal in a capacity most humans would never - they were dedicating their life to protect worlds that weren’t their own, just like Hal. 

It was easier to relate to them and Justice League members than to most humans. 

That only reinforced his desire to talk with Bruce. He did it, after the JL meeting that was planned a day later.

“Bats ?” he had called hesitantly through the meeting room table, once the room had emptied. 

It got him a few side glances from the few people still present but Hal had only talked once the worst gossips of the League (namely, Oliver and Arthur) had left the room. 

A dark look from the Dark Knight and everyone was out of the room in no time, probably running away to avoid hearing one more argument between the two. They had waited for a minute or two before leaving the room.

“Follow me.” Bruce had said, his cape billowing in an overly dramatic way in his back. 

Hal shrugged and fought a smile before obeying. 

Bruce led them to his quarters in the Watchtower. Once inside, he locked the door and Hal felt both glad that nobody could interrupt - not without taking the door down - and a bit trapped because Bruce - in Batman’s gear, no less - was an imposing person. 

Also, it was Bruce’s bedroom, and it didn’t help with Hal’s nerves at all. Bruce must have noticed it, because he motioned to another door that Hal hadn’t noticed - probably not a bathroom, they had common showers in the Watchtower - and went to open it. 

“You also have an office there ? I only have a desk in my room !” Hal exclaimed.

“Well, I am the lead strategist here. You’re coming or do you really want to have a conversation about this in my bedroom ?” 

Hal gulped and threw a dark glare at Bruce but followed him. Maybe he should reconsider his options. 

Bruce gestured for him to sit but Hal refused. There was only one seat here and the last thing he wanted was the vigilante to be looming over him. Bruce went to lean on the wall and Hal leaned on the desk, toying with an abandoned pen. 

Bruce removed his cowl, which would have made anyone else a more approachable person, but didn’t work that way for him. His steel-blue eyes were as intimidating as the lenses. 

Hal returned the courtesy and let go of his own mask before speaking.

“I gather you know why I am here ? I am going to take you up on your offer, if it’s still on.”

Bruce nodded. Hal wondered for how long he had known that Hal wasn’t going to refuse. Had he known back then, when he had made his offer ? Or did he take the risk of being rejected ? It seemed less likely, in retrospect. 

“You have conditions.” Bruce observed after long seconds of silence. 

“Yes. I’ll stand by my beliefs, the shift in our relationship doesn’t change that and sometimes I think your opinion is shit. We’ll argue, obviously, but I’d rather we argue here as teammates than as… whatever we could call ourselves.”

The whole situation made Hal feel uneasy. Bruce was one of his oldest teammates, or friends even. They were that, more or less, when they weren’t fighting each other. 

However, Hal hadn’t foreseen this new shift in their relationship. Him and Bruce, it sounded quite like an anomaly. 

“Lovers. That’s the word for it. I am a man, Hal, and if you can’t stand it, you should say it now.”

Bruce being a man hadn’t made Hal’s decision any easier but it hadn’t been his concern at the moment. Hal had never dated a man openly before, but it wasn’t like his and Bruce’s relationship was going to be for public consumption if the man agreed on his terms but Hal wasn’t certain he would.

“I don’t mind that you’re a man. Okay, a bit, but that won’t be an issue. It just had been a while since I dated a guy, but I am not really against the idea. So, I was saying that I am not agreeing to see you more often so we can keep arguing outside of the workplace. That’s my first condition.” 

“Fine by me.” was all the answer he got but he hadn’t expected more.

Surely Bruce wasn’t yearning for never-ending work-related fights either.

“Second, we keep this under wraps. I don’t want all the League to know. Hell, I don’t want Ollie and Barry to know, I would never hear the end of it.” 

Bruce nodded. The secrecy part had been the only thing he would have insisted on if Hal hadn’t asked himself for it. The whole point of this new development in their relationship was no drama. Involving the League always led to more drama, in Bruce’s experience. 

“Third… What was third, again ? Oh yes, there’s a time limit to this relationship. There is an intergalactic meeting in October on Rofa and some Lanterns will be there to help negotiations along, myself included. So if we’re not dealing with an invasion of some sort here at the same time, I should be off-planet for quite a bit. That seems like a good moment to stop seeing each other and start thinking about more serious relationships.” 

“Agreed.” Bruce said, not a shadow of doubt in his voice. 

They stayed silent for a bit, Hal back to playing with the pen on Bruce’s desk. From Bruce’s glare, he could tell the man was barely resisting the urge to snatch it from him. 

That was the whole point of this fling, letting go of the pressure for a while to be able to get back to more challenging and meaningful relationships, the kind that should lead to the end of lies and maybe a wedding and a kid or two.

Well, maybe not the goal for Bruce. Hal had a hard time thinking about what Bruce could gain from a shift in their relationship, because he doubted it was a step towards those things for him. Bruce already had kids and Hal didn’t think the man would ever settle. 

Which reminded Hal of one of his conditions. Hal wasn’t planning to make it a sine qua non condition if Bruce objected to it but it was his preference. 

“Would monogamy be okay too ?” he asked.

Bruce didn’t seem to mind him asking, his gaze on him still unchanging. 

“That won’t be a difficulty. Anything else ?”

“Well, I think that’s all for now. What are your conditions ?” Hal asked when he realized Bruce may have some too.

“Yours seem good enough.” 

Nobody talked for a few seconds, and both seemed to take the time to appreciate the silence. 

“Okay. So, what are we doing now ? Do I kiss you or… ?” Hal asked, casting an apprehensive glance in Bruce’s bedroom’s direction when the silence started to stretch too much for his comfort. 

“Come here.” Bruce said, accompanying his words by a hand gesture with a similar meaning. 

Hal frowned but did as he was told. When Hal was close enough, Bruce’s arms wrapped around him and Hal’s arms imitated his of their own accord a second later. 

“Just relax. This is supposed to be a soothing parenthesis in our stressful lives, not what’s keeping you awake at night.” Bruce whispered in Hal’s ear. 

Hal definitely didn’t shiver when he felt Bruce’s breath against his skin. He fought a blush and extracted himself from Bruce’s embrace quickly. 

“Okay, okay. I was overthinking this, you’re already rubbing off on me. I am just not sure how to start this.” 

“How about dinner ? There are things I need to see to in Gotham tonight, but what about tomorrow ?” Bruce suggested.

The pen Hal had been playing with fell from his hands to the floor. Hal mouthed a brief sorry and picked it up, putting it back on the desk. 

“Like a date ?” 

Bruce arched an eyebrow at his hesitation.

“Isn’t it part of the fun you wanted to have ?”

What had he said last time ? Hal couldn’t tell, but yes, nice dates had been part of what he yearned for. Honestly, he hadn’t thought Bruce would be so quick to ask him out for dinner. 

“Sure. Uh, I am paying for my food though, so try to think of some place I can afford to eat at.” 

Bruce smirked at him. It was his first visible reaction to anything Hal had said tonight, and the familiarity of it was really nice. 

“That’s going to limit our choices severely.” 

“I have a pilot’s salary, asshole.” Hal rolled his eyes at him. 

“When you’re Earthside.” Bruce had pointed out.

Coming back to their usual selves and their casual banter was much more agreeable that whatever they had been doing. Responsible conversations were exhausting. 

“Don’t you ever get tired of lobster and caviar ? I am so going to make you try normal people's food at some point of this relationship.” 

Bruce frowned at him, looking like he was about to be tortured. 

“Are you talking about the awful stuff my sons like to eat ?”

Hal had laughed, remembering Dick stealing Tim’s greasy fries under Bruce’s horrified eyes. 

“The things Dick eats hardly qualify as food.” Hal said, shaking his head. “Hey, I was thinking about that nice place three of four blocks away from my flat. They have seafood and fish. You’d like to try it ?” 

“Why not ? I should survive a few hours among commoners. Tomorrow is okay ?”

Hal nodded before heading for the door. It was getting late, Bruce probably needed to get ready for patrol and it would seem this was the end of their conversation, anyway. 

“Yes. I’ll make reservations and text you the time and the place, asshole.” Hal said, smiling, before leaving Bruce’s office. “See you.”

Hal had nearly walked all the way to Bruce’s bedroom door when he heard Bruce calling him back. 

“Aren’t you forgetting anything ?”

Hal reddened a bit but came back and wrapped a hand around Bruce’s neck before kissing him fiercely. Bruce responded in kind and when they separated, they were breathing hard. It was nice but it may have been better if one of them had yielded a bit more control to the other. Hal was afraid it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, both of them too willing to dominate.

Bruce was chuckling quietly and Hal threw him a dirty look, wondering what was making him laugh. Hal hadn’t kissed a man since… since… oh God, probably Barry at that damn party a few years ago, but he had quite some experience with girls and he knew he was a good kisser. 

“I was talking about my phone number.” Bruce said softly, looking at Hal.

There was still a sparkle of amusement in his eyes, and Hal got a bit lost into them. Bruce had beautiful eyes. 

“Uh ?” 

“You haven’t asked for it. You’re going to need my number if you want to text me. Give me your phone.”

Hal unlocked his screen and handed his phone to Bruce unthinkingly, still a bit mesmerized by his eyes. He felt rather nervous when he realized what he had done. There wasn’t anything incriminating on his phone - a few drunken messages at worst - but Bruce wasn’t known for his respect of other people’s privacy. 

Hal was quite relieved when his teammate handed him his phone back quickly. 

“Yeah well, so, see you tomorrow ?” 

Hopefully Hal wouldn’t embarrass himself any further and that was his last goodbye to Bruce for the night.

“Wait.” Bruce said, arranging Hal’s hair and his collar before giving him a peck. “Yes, see you tomorrow.” 

Hal looked much more dignified as he left Bruce’s quarters but if anyone saw him in the corridor, they couldn’t fail to notice that his cheeks had turned an interesting shade of red.

Hal didn’t check his contact list until the next morning, frowning when he didn’t find anything at Bruce or Wayne. Looking more closely, he realized why and laughed. Bruce was impossible. Hal smiled at his phone as he typed.

_**HJ** : you fucker_

_**BAE <3 <3 **: Good morning to you too, sweetheart._

Bruce wasn’t even asking whose number it was, he must have been expecting Hal’s reaction to his contact name on his phone. Hal did not blush at the mocking endearment. He did not.

He wondered vaguely under which name he was going to be listed on Bruce’s own contact list (probably something boring) and if he could bribe one of Bruce’s kids to change it (a fair revenge). 

_**HJ** : its your idea of lowkey ??_

_**BAE <3 <3 **: Your friends will not think about me if they see this contact name_

_**HJ** : such a bastard. still on for tonight ? i am thinking about taking barry instead_

_**BAE <3 <3 **: Text me the time and the address._

Hal couldn’t tell if Bruce was funnier than he thought or just more irritating, curiously. Time would tell, probably. For now, he could just feel a comforting warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am freaking out because I just stumbled on a poem by Amy Lowell I have never read before and... just have a look at [A Lover](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628917088204079104/a-lover-if-i-could-catch-the-green-lantern-of-the).
> 
> What were the odds that I would unknowlingly write a Batlantern fic partly based on poems written by a woman who wrote a poem titled "A Lover" mentioning "green lantern" ?  
> I am not even mentioning [Ephemera](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628917688350244864/ephemera-silver-green-lanterns-tossing-among)  
> , another poem from Lowell that I just read and that mention "silver-green lanterns".
> 
> Yeah. Like that time I wrote that one-shot mentioning a green dragonfly and I hadn't seen dragonflies for maybe a year but the day after I saw a big green one ? Friends, I don't know what's happening. 
> 
> Anyway, have a look at Lowell's poems. Fireworks is amazing.


	3. Leave me in peace, O Spectres, who haunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from [The Last Quarter of the Moon](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628918553404407808/the-last-quarter-of-the-moon-how-long-shall-i).
> 
> /!\ I am raising the rating for graphic depiction of dead (alien) bodies, alien trafficking and what may be called alien body horror I think ? Mentions of torture. And TW Emetophobia for this chapter.

Hal wasn’t that well versed into proper dating etiquette but he was quite certain that cancelling and asking for backup in a gruesome case instead was a don’t. 

Ollie had asked his help for a “minor issue” that Hal thought would be resolved quick enough for him to change and be on time at the restaurant. Surprise, Ollie’s minor issue had changed into a major one quickly enough. This wasn’t just about alien blood trafficking. It was about alien trafficking, period. 

The network was a vast one, involving several cities in the vicinity. They couldn’t dismantle it wholly in only one night, or at least not alone, but they were going to try. They had to. Alien children and adults were sold to be exhibited alive into cages or dead in cabinets of curiosities.

Hal had called for backup to put an end to it. They were going to need the major part of the League, divided into different cities. 

It was a long night, and long following days. How many times did Hal hold an orphaned, underfed child, dead or alive, in his arms during those few days ? 

Damn too many.

He couldn’t forget the burned scales, the ripped wings, the scratched bark, the broken shells. And the blood. Thick, thin, transparent, golden, greenish, smelling like violets, like motor oil or rot, hot, cold, sticky, dense, corrosive sometimes. Flowing or drying up. 

How many times had he thrown up, smelling the sugary scent of Mosveran blood or seeing alien body parts exposed in glass cases ?

How many times had they all ? All available League members had been on the case for six days when they caught the last monsters involved in the trafficking. Nearly 81 aliens had died, and many had been in need of medical attention because of so called scientific experiments and mutilations.

Reuniting surviving parents and children had been an experience Hal wasn’t going to forget soon. One of the parents, to whom Hal had brought back an almost scaleless but alive child, a Foran with greenish scales, went to Hal and shyly gestured for him to kneel to match their own height. They ran their fins in his hair. He let them. 

It should have been painful because of the claws at the end of Forans’ fins but Hal suspected theirs had been removed forcefully. Torture. He let himself cry. 

“Re, rié.” the Foran said, accenting the second sound.

 _Keep using that heart of yours, stranger._ the ring translated. Hal kissed their head in thanks, on the part without scales. The scales were very sensitive and Hal would never touch them without explicit consent.

The small fish-like humanoid bowed, and Hal did the same, putting an effective end to their conversation. 

Many children and parents didn’t have the chance to be reunited but Lanterns took over and brought them back on their planets, to their people. 

Hal and Bruce hadn’t talked for anything but sharing information related to their case for the last few days.

None of the humans that had been part of the network seemed to know how the aliens had arrived here, some of the most oblivious ones thinking they were humans with mutated genes. They had been extensively interrogated by the Justice League but nothing had come of it, so they’ve been left to the care of the Guardians, waiting for their trial that would be orchestrated in probably less than a year. 

Hal wondered what would happen at the Intergalactic Court. Which sentences they would serve. Many alien races weren’t very forgiving and for once Hal was glad for it. He could still see the children when he closed his eyes. It had been bad enough to find out about the adults, but the kids ? Hal shivered. 

“I am never having children ever.” he had vowed earnestly in the Watchtower’s showers, scrubbing his skin a bit too energetically. “Too much heartbreak.”

He had barely realized that he had talked aloud, and hadn’t noticed anyone else’s presence until a voice pierced through the water vapor.

“That it is.”

Hal turned around with a jerk. He couldn’t see Bruce well through the steam, which made him realize that the water was scalding hot, but he knew his deep intonations well enough. 

Hal wondered for how long he had been there. Another may have been embarrassed but Hal had been an army man in the past, many people had seen him naked before. 

“I didn’t know you were there ! I didn’t mean -”

“It’s fine, Hal. I think you’ve already scrubbed that part. Come here.” Bruce said, and Hal could see he had a towel in his hands. 

He sighed and got out of the shower, walking towards Bruce. He felt the man’s gaze on him, who seemed to be cataloguing each inch of his skin. Hal raised an eyebrow but Bruce just shook his head and instead of giving him the towel, Bruce undertook to dry him off himself.  
Hal closed his eyes as the cloth brushed against his skin gently. 

“You’re watching me having a shower often ?” 

Bruce laughed quietly. 

“I wanted to check on you.” 

Hal didn’t ask why it couldn’t wait after he had put some clothes on. He had been planning to go home right after showering without saying goodbye to anyone and somehow Bruce must have sensed it. 

“What’s your assessment ?” Hal murmured.

He didn’t really want to hear it but Bruce’s voice had a calming substance to it. Must be the Dad in him or something. Hal almost laughed at the thought. 

“Our last assignment made the target and everyone else involved upset. The target is angry at himself for letting it affect him so much, sleep-deprived because of all the work and the nightmares and is going to be angry at me for stating the truth even if he asked me too.”

Hal chuckled humorlessly but didn’t comment. 

"Um, Bruce ?" he said after some time. 

"Yes ?" Bruce asked, arching an eyebrow.

Hal wondered shortly how many people had fallen for his innocent act.

"If you're going to rub this towel any lower, we're going to have a problem." he said, grabbing Bruce’s hands. 

"Do you mind ? I am a good problem solver." Bruce shrugged and his smile was downright disarming. 

"What do you think about going back to my place so people just don't walk on us in the common showers ?" Hal suggested. 

\--

When Bruce had woken up, he had found Hal emptying the contents of his stomach in the toilet bowl. Hal had turned his face away from him, his neck reddening.

Bruce had sat on the cold tiles next to him and rubbed circles into his back, talking about the human-factors engineering of the Batplane and improvements he could make as Hal retched.

Hal was feeling better and was about to thank him by the time Bruce left his immediate field of vision. However he wasn’t absent for long, coming back with a wet washcloth.

“You don’t have to do that.” Hal had croaked. 

Bruce had stroked his cheek and let Hal use the washcloth before helping him up. Hal would probably have found Bruce washing his face more humiliating than comforting. 

“Give me ten minutes.” Hal had asked and Bruce had nodded before leaving the room. 

He could tell Hal’s dignity had taken a hit this morning and that he would only accept Bruce’s help to a certain extent. He would have left if Hal’s words hadn’t implied he would like to speak with Bruce. 

So Bruce had put his clothes back on and waited for Hal in the bedroom, perusing the shelves. 

“Thinking of redecorating ?” Hal had asked when he had appeared in the doorframe.

“I am not sure this flat had ever been decorated in the first place.” Bruce pointed out and Hal laughed.

The personal touches in the bedroom were quite minimal. A fake plant stood alongside a few recent thrillers in alphabetic order and a yellowing poetry anthology. There was another shelf bowing under flying manuals and a miniature aircraft. 

“Yeah, well, with all the time I spend off planet, it’s not really worth the money. I spend most of my time on Earth flying or catching up with friends, anyway.” Hal explained as he started dressing up. “Do you want to shower ? I am sorry, I am such a terrible host.” Hal sighed, sitting on the bed.

Bruce sat next to him and covered his hand with his.

“It’s fine, Hal. Really. I’ll have one back at the Manor."

"Why are you so nice ?"

"Why are you beating yourself up about what happened ?"

They both stayed silent for a few seconds longer than necessary. 

"It's my sector, I should have known what was happening. It's my planet, for fuck's sake ! I should have prevented it, that’s what I am supposed to do !" Hal said finally.

When he had woken up this morning, the thought had made him sick to his stomach. All those dead people… Hal should have done something to prevent it. Could have, certainly. 

"How ? We don't even know how it happened yet." Bruce pointed out, not unkindly. 

Hal stood up and started pacing before stopping right in front of the window, looking at the street without seeing it. He leaned his forehead against the glass and took a heavy, shuddering breath. 

"We should have ! If I have done - if we have - if -” 

Bruce joined him at the window. Below them, civilians went on with their day. Children chased each other, parents chastised them, friends called out to each other. 

Hal looked away and held back a sob. 

"Hal. You're doing all you can. The Justice League too. Sometimes, we fail to save people. There's only so much we can do." Bruce said softly.

Alfred had told him so hundreds of times. Clark and him repeated it to each other occasionally. Dick was still learning it.

"It's not - it shouldn't be like that." Hal said, and it wasn’t sorrow in his voice, it was rage. 

"You're responsible for a whole sector, you can't have your eyes on this planet all the time."

"It doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

Bruce had thrown him a cold, hard look. It was uncharacteristic of Hal to be so unrealistic. 

"And get yourself killed trying ? Is that the end goal here ?" 

Hal hadn’t expected Bruce’s anger, wasn’t even sure what had triggered it. 

"Someone has to care." Hal snapped at his teammate. 

There were a few seconds of stunned silence. 

"And you think I don't. Children died. We witnessed their parents holding their dead, broken bodies and you thought - I should go." 

For a second, Bruce's eyes had looked haunted with past memories and ever-present fears.

Hal was too slow to hold him back. The horrors of the last few days were still dancing in front of his eyes.

"Bruce !" he called but the front door was already being slammed.

**Author's Note:**

> Story shamelessly inspired by some of Amy Lowell's poems.  
> [In a garden](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628918816667205632/in-a-garden-gushing-from-the-mouths-of-stone) is a favorite, so we're totally going to have a swimming-pool scene. 
> 
> Keep in mind that my inspiration for the last chapter is [The Taxi](https://r-a-b-talks.tumblr.com/post/628919065139953664/the-taxi-when-i-go-away-from-you-the-world-beats) so that's not really a HEA but there will be a happy ending in the sequel ! (Yes, I planned a sequel and have only written a chapter of this for now, I am a total disaster)


End file.
